2000
#2,975
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,128
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.13
Uncommon Last name
Harlow
An English habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "rock hill" or "army hill."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 12,887 Americans carry the last name Harlow. That puts it at #3,126 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.76 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 26,597 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Harlow surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Harlow with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
13K
1 in 26,597
Census rank
#3,126
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
11K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 11,238 bearers of the surname Harlow in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.76 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3126th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Harlow, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and Hispanic (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Harlow
The surname Harlow is of English origin, derived from the Old English words "hara" meaning hare and "hlaw" meaning hill or mound. It is believed to have originated as a place name referring to a location where hares were commonly found on a hill or mound.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Harlow can be traced back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Herlaua" and "Herlawe" in Essex and Hertfordshire respectively. These entries suggest that the name was already well-established in these areas during the 11th century.
During the medieval period, the name appeared in various forms, including Herlawes, Herlawe, and Harlowe, reflecting the variations in spelling and pronunciation common at the time. Several places in England were also named Harlow, further solidifying the name's geographical roots.
One notable historical figure bearing the surname Harlow was John Harlow (c. 1512-1554), an English Protestant martyr who was burned at the stake in Stratford-le-Bow during the Marian Persecutions for his religious beliefs.
In the 17th century, Richard Harlow (1625-1688) was a prominent English painter known for his portraits and landscapes. His works can be found in various collections throughout England.
The 18th century saw the birth of George Henry Harlow (1787-1819), an English painter renowned for his historical and literary subjects. His most famous work, "The Trial of Queen Katharine," depicting a scene from Shakespeare's Henry VIII, is housed in the National Gallery in London.
In the 19th century, Jean Harlow (1911-1937), born Harlean Carpenter, was an iconic American film actress and sex symbol. Despite her short life, she became one of the most celebrated stars of the 1930s and a lasting icon of Hollywood's Golden Age.
More recently, Heather Harlow (born 1970) is an American singer-songwriter and musician known for her work in the indie rock and folk genres, contributing to the vibrant music scene of the Pacific Northwest.
Throughout its history, the surname Harlow has maintained a strong connection to its English roots, with many individuals bearing the name leaving their mark across various fields, from art and literature to religion and entertainment.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Harlow
Among Census respondents with the surname Harlow, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and Hispanic (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Harlow bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Harlow surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.6% · 10,186
- Two or more races3.7% · 413
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 350
- Black or African American1.3% · 142
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 77
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 70
Timeline
Historical Census data for Harlow
Harlow appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#3,060
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,726
+598 bearers (+5.4%)
Per 100,000 3.98
Rank movement Down 85 places
2020
#3,126
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,238
-488 bearers (-4.2%)
Per 100,000 3.76
Rank movement Down 66 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,975 | 11,128 | 4.13 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,060 | 11,726 | 3.98 | +598 bearers (+5.4%) | Down 85 places |
| 2020 | #3,126 | 11,238 | 3.76 | -488 bearers (-4.2%) | Down 66 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Harlow surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #3,060 | #3,126 | -2.2% |
| Count | 11,726 | 11,238 | -4.2% |
| Per 100K | 3.98 | 3.76 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Harlow bearers went from 11,726 to 11,238 (-4.2% change). The surname moved down 66 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,060 to #3,126.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Harlow
FAQ
Harlow surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Harlow?
Name Census estimates that about 12,887 living Americans carry the surname Harlow. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 26,597 residents.
How common is Harlow?
Harlow ranks #3,126 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.76 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 11,238 people with the surname Harlow. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (12,887), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.76 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.76 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Harlow.
Has Harlow become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Harlow went from 11,726 recorded bearers to 11,238. That is a decrease of 488 (-4.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,060 to #3,126.
What does the Census say about the background of Harlow?
Among Census respondents with the surname Harlow, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and Hispanic (3.1%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Harlow in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.6% (10,186 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Harlow appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.6%), Two or More Races (3.7%), Hispanic (3.1%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Harlow (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Harlow mean?
An English habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "rock hill" or "army hill." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Harlow (3.76 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people are called Harlow?
Find out how common the surname Harlow is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.